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This Technical Report derives from the activities conducted by CNR-IBIMET, WP5 leader of the FP7 INCREASE project, with the aim to provide a comprehensive integrated database containing information and data from experiments on the potential effects of climate change on shrubland ecosystems in Europe. The Technical Report provides detailed information about handling and major functionalities of the INCREASE DB

This Technical Report derives from the activities conducted by CNR-IBIMET, WP5 leader of the FP7 INCREASE project, with the aim to provide a comprehensive integrated database containing information and data from experiments on the potential effects of climate change on shrubland ecosystems in Europe. The Technical Report describes the basic steps followed in designing and implementing the INCREASE Database (DB) and illustrates the architecture of the INCREASE DB, also with mentions about handling and major functionalities.

The incidence of bacteraemia during transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was evaluated in a prospective study of 82 consecutive patients. Three series of blood cultures were carried out for each patient: from group 1 (n = 44), prior to the examination, at the end of the examination and 15 min afterwards. For group 2 (n = 38), blood cultures were performed prior to the examination, 10 min after the start and immediately after the end. A single positive blood culture was detected in two patients. For the first patient, blood culture at the end of the examination demonstrated Corynebacteria, and for the second, Staphylococcus epidermidis was identified on cultures taken during the examination. During the first 24 h, a transient subfebrile temperature was recorded in 15% of the patients, including the patient with the Corynebacteria-positive blood culture. By mid-term (6 months) no patient had developed endocarditis. Our findings suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis during TEE is not warranted.

One hundred and one consecutive patients with infectious endocarditis were examined by transthoracic (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). There were 71 cases of endocarditis on native valves (N) and 30 cases of endocarditis on prosthetic valves (P). The detection of vegetations was significantly greater by TEE (93%), than by TEE (73%) on native valves but the rate of detection of endocarditis on prosthetic valves was low and identical with both methods. Out of a total of 18 abscesses, only 6 were detected by TEE compared with 15 by TEE. There were 3 false negative results by TEE: small anterior abscesses marked by the prosthesis or aortic calcifications. In addition, TEE demonstrated 3 perforations and 2 mycotic aneurysms of the mitral valve. The lesions were confirmed anatomically in 48 cases. The sensitivity of TEE was 94% and the specificity was 84.5%; the negative predictive value was 87.5%. These results show that TEE is significantly superior in the detection and morphological analysis of vegetations. It is the method of choice for the diagnosis of abscesses, especially in prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Thrombosis is a serious complication of heart valve replacement, and management is often difficult. In recent years, thrombolytic therapy has been used as the primary technique by some investigators.Sixty-four consecutive patients presenting with 75 instances of prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (41 mitral, 33 aortic, one tricuspid) were treated with fibrinolytic agents. Obstructed prosthetic valves comprised 39 tilting disc and 36 bileaflet valves. The time interval between valve replacement and obstruction ranged from 15 days to 192 months (mean, 38 months). Fibrinolytic agents used were streptokinase (42 patients), urokinase (27 patients), or recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (six patients). Immediate results of fibrinolytic treatment were 1) full success after one or several consecutive fibrinolytic regimens in 55 cases (73%), 2) incomplete improvement in two cases, and 3) failure in 18 cases, leading to an emergency surgery in nine cases. Nine patients died (four strokes, four cardiac arrests, one hemorrhage). Only one severe hemorrhagic complication was observed, but 11 cases of embolism occurred during fibrinolytic treatment (14.6%) (four major cerebral embolisms with death). The immediate efficacy was better for thrombosed aortic prosthesis than with the mitral prosthesis (85% versus 63%).Fibrinolytic treatment appears to be an attractive nonsurgical alternative for prosthetic heart valve thrombosis, but because of the risk of cerebral embolism, its use should be reserved for tricuspid valve thrombosis or critically ill patients with mitral or aortic valve thrombosis. The use of a fibrinolytic agent in cases of small, nonobstructive paravalvular thrombosis demonstrated with transesophageal echocardiography needs further studies.

Forty-one patients with mild to moderate hypertension were included in a multicentre trial. The objective was to assess the influence of the time at which nitrendipine (Nidrel 20 mg) is taken on its efficacy and tolerance. The drug was administered once daily either in the morning or in the evening during 2 consecutive periods of 28 days. Efficacy was assessed on an ambulatory recording of blood pressure over 24 hours. Globally, nitrendipine results in a statistically significant drop in blood pressure which is not influenced by the time of administration. Treatment response varies greatly according to the initial value of ambulatory diastolic blood pressure. There is a clear antihypertensive effect if ADBP is greater than or equal to 90 mmHg and no hypotensive effect if ADBP is less than 90 mmHg. The incidence of adverse effects did not vary according to the time the drug was taken. Biological tolerance was excellent. Nitrendipine, administered once daily alone appears to be an efficient antihypertensive agent, well tolerated both clinically and biologically. Its efficacy is maintained over a 24-hour period regardless of the time at which the drug is taken.

The effects of 6 months treatment with Sotalol on the blood pressure, left ventricular mass and function, were studied in patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy. Thirty-three patients (18 men and 15 women aged 53 +/- 11 years) were included initially and 26 were reviewed after 6 months of treatment. The left ventricular mass and function were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography and all recordings were interpreted "blind" at the end of the study by two operators. Treatment led to a significant reduction of the blood pressure (152 +/- 12/94 +/- 11 versus 166 +/- 18/100 +/- 9 mmHg) and of the heart rate (60 +/- 10 versus 76 +/- 12 beats per minute). The left ventricular mass index decreased by 8% (p less than 0.001) due to reduction in wall thickness. Resting left ventricular systolic function was unchanged. Left ventricular filling patterns improved with an increase in the E/A ratio which was reduced at the beginning of the trial.

The relationship between ambulatory blood pressure and degree of left ventricular hypertrophy is analysed with a triple objective: to assess the value of ambulatory blood pressure recording; the observation of better correlations between left ventricular mass (LVM) and systolic BP with ambulatory rather than clinical recordings is one of the most convincing arguments in favour of the prognostic value of this technique; to guide analysis of ambulatory blood pressure recordings. These recordings provide a large number of measurements over a period of variable duration. The selection of the frequency of measurement, the duration of the recording and the periods of recording (at work, during the day or night), of the criteria of interpretation (average, variability, distribution of values) is partially arbitrary. The possibility of predicting the degree of LVH from these results is one of the only rational approaches while awaiting validation with respect to long-term outcome. In the author's experience, the average of the systolic blood pressure values during the period of activity is the parameter which is most closely related to LVM in untreated hypertensive patients; to improve our understanding of the relationship between the blood pressure, LVM and left ventricular function. There is evidence that the LVH of hypertensive patients has a multifactorial basis. The use of only occasional blood pressure measurements in clinical studies may have increased the apparent importance of one or another factor related to the degree of LVH. The precise influence of these factors, independent of their possible relationship to the blood pressure, should now be reevaluated with respect to ambulatory blood pressure recordings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

To better define the different forms of hypertensive heart disease, we performed 2D guided M mode echo recording of the left ventricle (LV) and Doppler assessment of LV filling in 118 newly recognised (less than 1 year) and untreated hypertensive patients (mean age +/- SD: 49 +/- 10 years, 80 males, 38 females). All recordings were read "blindly". 86 patients underwent also 24 hours BP monitoring during daily routine.1) The relative wall thickness (h/r) shows a normal distribution: mean = 0.39; SD = 0.08; 1st quartile = 0.33; 3rd = 0.43; 2) The septal/posterior wall ratio (ST/PWT) shows also a normal distribution: mean = 1.14; SD = 0.24; 1st quartile = 1; 3rd = 1.3; 3) Among patients with LVH (Devereux's criteria, n = 65) the 6 patients with h/r less than or equal to 0.33 are significantly different from the 18 patients with h/r greater than or equal to 0.43 for age (44 +/- 8 vs 51 +/- 10; p less than 0.03), casual (146 +/- 7 vs 166 +/- 13 mmHg; p less than 0.05) and ambulatory SBP (135 +/- 19 vs 146 +/- 16 mmHg; p less than 0.05), peak systolic stress (280 +/- 15 vs 187 +/- 31 Dynes/cm2; p less than 0.001) and E/A ratio (1.17 +/- 0.01 vs 0.94 +/- 0.27; p less than 0.05) but not for ponderal excess. 4) Patients with asymmetric LVH(ST/PWT greater than 1.3 in 22; greater than 1.5 in 10) are significantly different from patients with symmetric LVH for age (54 +/- 10 vs 47 +/- 10; p less than 0.03), diastolic diameter (51 +/- 5 vs 53 +/- 5 mm; p less than 0.02), ST (13.2 +/- 2.9 vs 10 +/- 1.9 mm; p less than 0.001) and PWT (8.9 +/- 1.5 vs 9.7 +/- 1.5 mm; p less than 0.02) but not for BP fractional shortening and LV filling.eccentric LVH may be found in young hypertensive patients with normal systolic function and LV filling despite high parietal stress; asymmetric LVH is more frequent in older patients in which LVH seems to develop rather on the septum than on free wall, independently of BP and without consequences on LV function.

We performed 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring with non invasive devices in 233 normotensive patients during a workday. Their age ranged from 21 to 74 years (mean +/- standard deviation = 39 +/- 11, 37% females). These patients were mainly recruited on their workplace. Blood pressure monitoring was proposed to all volunteers without any history of hypertension, independently of the casual blood pressure measured by a doctor after 10 minutes sitting, just before monitoring. Patients were asked to note precisely their bedtime and the moment of getting up and to start a blood pressure measurement as getting up. This measure was used as the starting point of the 24 hours blood pressure curve for each patient. Pooling all patients in that way shows an important rise of blood pressure as standing up but no significant variation before. So we calculated the average blood pressure during the true time of activity and of bedrest for each block of 10 years from 20 to 60 years, separately for men and women. These values may be used as a guide when interpreting 24 hours blood pressure recordings.

Transoesophageal echocardiography is a simple technique which is now the object of a growing and well-deserved interest, due to the wealth of information it provides. This examination does not supersede the conventional transthoracic echocardiography, but it completes it by supplying more accurate data, especially in difficult clinical cases, such as mitral valve pathology, cardiac valve prostheses, intracardiac thrombosis, aortic dissection and septal abnormalities.

Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rare and usually present with rupture communicating with the right heart cavities. Echocardiography is a powerful diagnostic tool in ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, especially the Color Doppler mode which shows abnormal, continuous flow as a mosaic of colour extending from the aortic root to the right heart cavities. The four case reports describe rupture of the right sinus of Valsalva aneurysm into the right atrium (2 cases) and the right ventricle (2 cases). Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in two cases and provided valuable information by confirming the site of rupture and the length of the diverticulum. The results illustrate the accuracy of Doppler echocardiographic techniques by the transthoracic and transoesophageal approaches in the diagnosis of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms.

The aim of this study is to specify the feasibility and value of the diameter measurement of the jet of aortic insufficiency (AI) in colour Doppler. 68 consecutive patients had a supra-sigmoid angiography and a colour echo-Doppler. An aortic insufficiency was revealed 58 times by the angiography and Doppler. In all the cases except four, it has been possible to measure the jet diameter at the origin in para-sternal incidence in colour TM by confronting the images in great and small axis section. The Doppler results have been compared to the angiographic score in 4 grades according to Sellers classification. The jet diameter at the origin in colour TM is significantly different in groups I, II, III-IV. In the group III-IV, it is always higher or equal to 13 mm. The failures of quantification of the AI jet in colour Doppler are linked with the very eccentric nature of the jet or to the poor quality of the echo-Doppler imaging. On the whole, the jet diameter measurement proves to be a very useful element in the assessment of the gravity of an AI, particularly when it is a central and circular jet.

M mode echocardiography is certainly an adequate method to evaluate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) regression in hypertensive patients, provided that some important conditions are fulfilled. Left ventricular mass assessment can be made only with non-distorted ventricles, as usually encountered in non-complicated hypertensive patients. The main problem is to limit all sources of variability for serial measurements and all sources of subjectivity in their interpretation. So, we propose some guidelines that should be useful when designing and completing such studies. Two-dimensional echocardiography offers the potential advantage of allowing assessment of left ventricular mass even when the left ventricle is far from its usual shape. However, a standardization of methods and studies of its reproducibility are still required before this method could be recommended in studies of LVH regression.

The diagnosis of thrombosis of a valvular prosthesis is difficult especially in cases of partial thrombosis. The authors report 19 cases of partial thrombosis of mainly (16 cases) mechanical valve prostheses confirmed by radioscopy and treated either by reoperation or fibrinolysis. Mitral Valve Prostheses: 14 cases (6 Björk, 7 SJM, 1 Carbomedics). All but one case showed significant prolongation of the pressure half time compared with the postoperative reference value. In one case, however, the functional parameters of the prosthesis were normal; the diagnosis was made from the finding of a mobile thrombus on the ventricular surface of the prosthesis. Aortic Valve Prostheses: 5 cases (3 Björk, 1 SJM, 1 Duromedics). Continuous wave Doppler showed significant increases in the velocity of transprosthetic blood flow with respect to the postoperative reference values. Accurate analysis of the mobile elements of the prostheses was usually impossible. These results show that transthoracic Doppler echocardiography remains an excellent method of study and surveillance of mechanical valve prostheses but the limitations of the technique should be familiar to all operators.

The authors describe the echocardiographic features of 19 cases of intracardiac metastatic tumours diagnosed over a 5-year period. The cardiac appearances were very varied: pericardial effusion alone or associated with an intrapericardial tumour (9 cases), myocardial infiltration (9 cases), immobile or mobile intracavitary tumour sometimes simulating a myxoma (15 cases). In 18 out of the 19 cases, the tumour mass was hyperechogenic which made it easy to diagnose. However, in one case of right atrial tumour, the mass was hypoechogenic and the diagnosis could only be made by contrast echocardiography. This study illustrates the important role that two-dimensional echocardiography plays in the non-invasive diagnosis of intracardiac metastatic tumours but physicians should be aware of the potential pitfalls and limitations of the technique.

The diagnosis of partial thrombosis of mitral disc valve prostheses is particularly difficult because the clinical presentation is often atypical and the motion of the two hemi-discs is hard to analyse by transthoracic echocardiography. The authors report three cases of partial thrombosis of mitral double-disc valve prostheses. It was not possible to analyse the motion of the two hemi-disc correctly in any of the three patients. The mitral transprosthetic flow recorded by continuous wave Doppler was abnormal with respect to the reference postoperative recording. In addition, in one case, an abnormal echo was observed floating in the left ventricular inflow tract and was suggestive of a thrombus. Transesophageal echo showed abnormal motion of one of the hemi-discs. In two patients this consisted in immobility of the hemi-disc in the semi-closed position; in the other patient, limited excursion of the hemi-disc was recorded. Abnormal retrograde flow in the left atrium was observed in 2 cases and abnormal echoes on the atrial surface of the valve were recorded in one case. After fibrinolysis the transthoracic and transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic parameters returned to normal. These three cases underline the complementarity of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of dysfunction of mitral disc valve prostheses.

Resume Des cas familiaux d'anticoagulant circulant de type antiprothrombinase ont ete rarement decrits. Nous rapportons une observation d'anticoagulant circulant de type antiprothrombinase chez deux sœurs, l'une atteinte de purpura thrombopenique immunologique et l'autre de lupus erythemateux dissemine.

A 26 year-old woman presents a systemic lupus erythematosus. Her sister has an immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura. Both have antiprothrombinase type circulating anticoagulant that seems to be the marker of hereditary immunologic disturbance.

A 69 year old woman presents syncopas related to paroxystic ventricular tachycardia. Endomyocardial and deltoid biopsies show mitochondrial abnormalities suggesting mitochondrial myopathy. No sign of this disease has happened when she was younger.

Ultrasound provides anatomical (wall thickness, diameter) and functional (thickening of the wall, ventricular ejection, ventricular filling) information about the left ventricle. The reliability and reproducibility of these measurements have been improved by the development of mono and bidimensional techniques, so that, today, ultrasound is the method of choice for the investigation and surveillance of left ventricular function, provided it is of good quality. Apart from the indirect information about left ventricular function drawn from mitral or aortic traces, the echocardiogram has proven to be a reproducible method for estimation of the thickness of the ventricular wall, the ventricular diameters and the left ventricular muscle mass. Whatever the geometry of the left ventricle, the ventricular volume is assessed most accurately by bidimensional ultrasound.

The knowledge of the characteristics and consequences of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in the hypertensive patient has greatly progressed in the past few years, owing to echocardiography. This examination provides a reliable and reproducible measurement, and therefore the left ventricular mass is used more and more as a severity index of hypertension and a mean of evaluation of the efficacy of the treatment. This attitude is justified in part by the poor prognosis of LVH. However, the pathogenesis of LVH in hypertension still presents numerous unknown facts. If the elevation of the post-charge seems to be the essential mechanism, other factors seem to have an important influence and explain the uneven effect of different hypertensive drugs at this level. Presently, there are several arguments in favor of the beneficial character of the regression of LVH in the hypertensive patient under treatment, but we will have to wait for the result of prognostic studies to use this property as a major objective of anti-hypertensive treatments.

Recent works have shown the importance of blood pressure (BP) response to exercise or to daily activity as determinants of hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy. We have tested the relationship between BP and left ventricular (LV) mass in 23 normotensive young adults (mean age 25 +/- 5) with normotensive parents. Blood pressure was measured at rest, at the end of maximal exercise test, and during 24-hour ambulatory monitoring during daily routine. Left ventricular mass was assessed with M-mode echocardiography. We found a closer relationship between LV mass with BP when measuring during activity (average day time BP and end exercise BP) than with rest BP (rest BP and average nighttime BP). Multiple regression analysis indicates an independent association of LV mass with both average day time and end exercise systolic blood pressure. Thus, we conclude that these two ways of assessing "activity" BP may be more complementary than opposing. Ambulatory BP monitoring appreciates the reactions to daily stresses and the exercise test measures the response to physical activity.